--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But it is hard to know them from friends…" description: "\"But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for a wolf resembles a dog, so doth a flatterer a friend.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/walter-raleigh-4068_dog_but-it-is-hard-to-know-them-from-friends_117934.png" --- # But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so… ![“But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for a wolf resembles a dog, so doth a flatterer a friend.” quote by Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/walter-raleigh-4068_dog_but-it-is-hard-to-know-them-from-friends_117934.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/walter-raleigh-4068_dog_but-it-is-hard-to-know-them-from-friends_117934.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/walter-raleigh-4068_dog_but-it-is-hard-to-know-them-from-friends_117934.png) > “But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for a wolf resembles a dog, so doth a flatterer a friend.” [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Distinguishing true friends from sycophants is difficult because flatterers mimic loyalty, much like wolves masquerade as dogs. **In simple terms:** Friends vs. flatterers. Key Takeaway Beware of false loyalty. Themes trust social dynamics psychology betrayal Mood cautious reflective Type advice social observation When to use this quote - workplace politics - new friendships - online communities Key Concepts authenticity social camouflage Practical Applications - observing consistent behavior - setting boundaries Questions to Reflect On - What signs reveal genuine friendship? - How does flattery erode trust? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Flatterer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flatterer/) [Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) [Friends Obsequious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-obsequious-1383952/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lion/) [Obsequious Protestations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsequious-protestations-1383953/) [Protestations Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protestations-wolf-1383951/) [Resembles Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resembles-dog-1383954/) [Wolf Resembles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wolf-resembles-1383950/) ## Related quotes > [Flatterers are the worst kind of traitors, for they will strengthen thy imperfections, encourage thee in all evils, correct thee in nothing, but so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/flatterers-are-the-worst-kind-of-traitors-for-they-will-strengthen/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [A flatterer is a friend who is your inferior, or pretends to be so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/a-flatterer-is-a-friend-who-is-your-inferior-or-pretends-to-be-so/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Prophet just means intellectual. They were people giving geopolitical analysis, moral lessons, that sort of thing. We call them intellectuals today. There were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/prophet-just-means-intellectual-they-were-people-giving-geopolitical/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There is a principle of human affairs that goes back millennia, which is that you don't look in the mirror. You can trace this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-is-a-principle-of-human-affairs-that-goes-back-millennia-which/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The art of flatterers is to take advantage of the foibles of the great, to foster their errors, and never to give advice which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/the-art-of-flatterers-is-to-take-advantage-of-the-foibles-of-the/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [There is no such flatterer as is a man's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/there-is-no-such-flatterer-as-is-a-man-s-self/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Believe flatterers and you're lost; believe your enemies and you despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/believe-flatterers-and-you-re-lost-believe-your-enemies-and-you/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [The most detestable race of enemies are flatterers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/the-most-detestable-race-of-enemies-are-flatterers/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [Every flatterer lives at the expense of him who listens to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/every-flatterer-lives-at-the-expense-of-him-who-listens-to-him/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Persons who discover a flatterer, do not always disapprove him, because he imagines them considerable enough to deserve his applications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/persons-who-discover-a-flatterer-do-not-always-disapprove-him-because/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst-them-chiefly-thyself/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [He that loves to be flattered is worthy o' the flatterer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-that-loves-to-be-flattered-is-worthy-o-the-flatterer/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/self-love-is-the-greatest-of-all-flatterers/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/crows-pick-out-the-eyes-of-the-dead-when-the-dead-have-no-longer-need/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [ Flatterers are the worst kind of enemies. \[Lat., Pessimum genus inimicorum laudantes.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/flatterers-are-the-worst-kind-of-enemies-lat-pessimum-genus/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) ## More by Walter Raleigh > [ \[It is a basic principle of a tyrant\] to unarm his people of weapons, money and all means whereby they resist his power. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/it-is-a-basic-principle-of-a-tyrant-to-unarm-his-people-of-weapons/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [Flatterers are the worst kind of traitors, for they will strengthen thy imperfections, encourage thee in all evils, correct thee in nothing, but so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/flatterers-are-the-worst-kind-of-traitors-for-they-will-strengthen/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [Expressive glances Shall be our lances And pops of Sillery Our light artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/expressive-glances-shall-be-our-lances-and-pops-of-sillery-our-light/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [The world is itself but a larger prison, out of which some are daily selected for execution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/the-world-is-itself-but-a-larger-prison-out-of-which-some-are-daily/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [Whosoever, in writing a modern history, shall follow truth too near the heels, it may happily strike out his teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/whosoever-in-writing-a-modern-history-shall-follow-truth-too-near-the/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [Fain would I, but I dare not; 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